Szijjártó: Libya Still Key Issue

Hungary Today 2018.07.17.

The key issue of how the EU can reduce migration pressure from Libya remains hanging, Hungary’s foreign minister said on the sidelines of a meeting of EU foreign ministers, adding that this would require protecting the southern borders of Libya and preventing human smuggling networks from “using the country as a passageway”.

Also, migrants in the north should be prevented from undertaking the life-threatening journey by sea, Szijjártó added. The minister called it an important new development that Italy had made it clear that “boats filled with illegal migrants” paid by civil organisations are prohibited from using their ports. Meanwhile, the Visegrad Group of countries has offered 35 million euros to help protect the southern borders of Libya, he said. On another subject, he said Ukraine had gravely breached one of Europe’s most guarded values and laws when it comes to the protection of minorities.

Szijjártó insisted that Ukraine was neglecting its international commitments as well as its NATO roadmap and its EU Association Agreement. “Hungary finds it unacceptable that, all this notwithstanding, Kiev expects to carry on in the same way towards European integration,” he said.

Based on the fact that the Ukrainian government has been unable to get parliament vote about this issue over eight months, it is difficult to decide whether the government has a true dedication to meeting the requirements of EU integration, he said. Hungary confirms its position that it will not support Ukraine’s EU and Euro-Atlantic integration until the country’s education law is amended in line with EU requirements, he added.